Anti-CAA protests: Allahabad HC seeks report on police action from UP government

The Allahabad High Court today asked the Uttar Pradesh government to file a detailed report on police action that happened during the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) in December.

The court heard seven petitions filed over violence during protests against the citizenship law last month and the brutal attack by the police in the state.

“How many complaints have been filed against the police or government officials over the crackdown on protesters?” the high court asked the Uttar Pradesh government.

Massive protests across the state and several agitations turned violent in various cities of Uttar Pradesh, where over 20 pepole were killed. The Uttar Pradesh police, however, claimed that not a single person had died during police firing.

“We didn’t fire even a single bullet,” UP’s Director General of Police OP Singh had said.

The court also asked the government if the autopsy reports of those who died during protests have been given to their relatives.

The law has been described as “unconstitutional” by opposition parties and Human Rights activists who claim that it excludes Muslims from being a part of the law that provides citizenship to non-Muslims from Muslim-majority Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to become Indian citizens if they fled religious persecution and entered India before December 31, 2014.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had made a statement saying that properties of protesters would be seized and auctioned to compensate destruction of public and private assets during the agitations over the amended law.